FicWad

*Episode Two*

Ed sat in Colonel mustang's office, waiting for him to return from the infirmary. He had taken Danielle there for her shoulder and possible broken ribs. Ed looked around.

"C'mon! I don't have all day," he yawned. He stood up and walked up to the Colonel's desk. On it were several stacks of paper. Ed looked at them. "boring Military info," Ed sighed. "Let's just take a glance at Colonel Roy Mustang's desk." He pulled open a drawer. There was a file sitting on top, labeled: Faize, Danielle. Ed looked at it for a moment, then he reached for it.

"You might want to return to the seat you were in when I left," said a voice. Ed quickly looked up and saw Colonel Mustang walking into the room.

"Colonel, I was -- just --" Ed stuttered as he shuffled to his seat. Colonel Mustang walked over to his desk, took out the folder, and looked at it.

"She has a dislocated shoulder, and a bruised rib or two. And yet -- you come out scratch free," he said in a interested voice.

"I fell on my right arm," Edward said looking down at his hands.

"Amazing what auto-mail can prevent. Here," Colonel Mutang said tossing the folder to Ed, "I know you're going to be investigating sooner or later. now you'll know everything the Military knows."

"Too bad they don't know very much."

"They know all they need to know. If Danielle finds the she can trust you, which I doubt will happen, she'll tell you what you want to know."

Ed looked at him. There was a knock at the door.

"Come in," the Colonel commanded. The door opened and Danielle walked in, with her arm in a sling.

"Danielle, why aren't you --" the Colonel started.

"They wanted to run some tests," she replied.

"I see," the Colonel said, putting his hands together. "It's seems Second Lieutenant Bradshaw doesn't give up so easily." Ed watched to two, feeling slightly alienated from the conversation.

"Should I go back to Pyre?" Danielle asked.

"You can't You're now a State Alchemist."

"What? How?"

"After that little stunt with that chimera -- the Exam officials had you as their first choice, no problem. But that is a problem, don't you agree? Now Bradshaw will have more suspicion about you and more oppourunities to stick his nose where it doesn't belong."

Danielle looked at the floor. "I'm sorry, she said. She looked up at the Colonel and then over to Edward.

"Well there's nothing we can do know. I'll see you at home."

Danielle nodded, then left the room.

"Did you really have to be so hard on her?" Ed asked.

"You think that's being hard? After the hard times I give you?" the Colonel replied.

"I'm just saying --"

"It's none of your concern. But I would like to invite you and Alphonse over to my house for dinner."

"What? Are you serious?!"

"Just think of it as me repaying you for saving Danielle. Do you accept?"

"Heck yeah, I accept!" Ed said. "As long as there's plenty of food."

The Colonel chuckled. "I'll send someone to pick you up around seven, then."

"Yes, sir," Ed said, as he walked out the door. For the first time, Edward began to think that Mustang wasn't as bad as he thought.


"What do you mean I wasn't invited?!" Winry yelled. She grabbed Ed by the coat.

"He probably didn't know you were here," Ed said, trying to get his coat free.

"Well then, I'm sure he won't mind if I come,"
Winry said.

"That's probably not a good idea," Alphonse said.

"Remember what happened last time you invited yourself?" Ed explained.

"Yeah, but --"

"Don't worry, we leave at seven, and we'll be back by nine, . . . maybe," Edward said.

"Yeah -- but --"

"I'm heading up to my study." Winry and Al
watched him walk upstairs.

"Yeah, but you guys have no food here!" Winry sobbed. Al laughed.

Ed opened the door to his study. There were books on alchemy everywhere. He placed the folder of Danielle on his desk and sat down.

"Dinner at the good 'ol Colonel's house," Ed laughed. "I wonder how big his house is. All these years of knowing him, and I still haven't seen his house. Although it can't be as big as the house next door, that place is huge!" Ed slumped in his chair. He looked at a picture of him and his brother before all of this happened. "My motivation --" he said. "What I wouldn't give to get you back your body, Al."

He looked at the folder lying on his desk. He reached out and opened it. Inside was a picture of Danielle paperclipped to two sheets of paper. Ed began to read. She was fifteen, the same age as Ed. She came from Pyre, a city far north of Central.

"Her glove is made of a special fabric," Ed said to himself, "but what is it for?" He turned the page, but it was blank. "Damn, now I know as much as the Military," Ed sighed, tossing the folder back onto the desk. He moved his auto-mail arm back and forth for a moment.

"Maybe I should have Winry take a look at my arm," he said, standing up. "I fell pretty hard on it."

Winry was slumped on the couch. Al sat in front of the window.

"Winry --" Ed started.

"It took you long enough," she said. "Let me see it."

"Thanks, Winry," Ed smiled.


A Military car pulled up to the Elric house at seven o' clock exact. Al and Ed said good-bye to Winry as they got into the car. The car pulled forward.

"Can you believe it, brother? We're going to see Colonel Mustang's house," Al exclaimed.

"And we get to eat his food," Ed replied excitedly. He rubbed his hands together.

"Is food all you think about?" Al sighed. The car pulled into a driveway.

"That was a quick drive."

"No way!" Ed exclaimed, jumping to the
window. "He does live in the mansion next door?!" The car pulled around to the front of the mansion. A man opened the car door and Ed and Al stepped out.

"Great service," Ed said, nodding to the man.

"Roy likes the fancy life since he was promoted," said a man stepping out of a car behind them. He was very tall and very muscular, and he had a blonde curl falling in front of his forehead. He had a certain glow about him.

"Major Armstrong," Al said. Ed looked at him.

"How are you boys doing?" the Major asked. He looked up at the mansion. "I hear Roy's niece is visiting. I haven't seen her in since she was a little girl. She'd be about the same age as Edward now, I do believe. Have you met her yet?"

Al looked over to Edward, who was still staring at the Major. "Yes, Brother met her at the State Alchemy
Exam," he explained, a little irritated by Ed's silence. But he finally spoke up --

"Was this suppose to be a formal dinner?"

Al looked at Armstrong. He was wearing a silk white shirt and a pink flower on the collar. He wore nice black pants and he had his black tuxedo jacket draped over his shoulder.

"I was told it was, but --" Armstrong started.

"Stupid Mustang! He's trying to make me look bad!" Ed yelled in rage.

"You are more than welcome to borrow a suit," said a voice behind him. Ed turned and saw Colonel Mustang staring down at him.

"Colonel, you --"

"I had a taylor size down a suit for you. I figured I should go ahead since I failed to inform you that this was a formal dinner. I do apologize."

"Funny how you stress the "size down" part," Ed mumbled.

"Major Armstrong, glad you could make it," the Colonel said, turning from Ed.

"I wouldn't miss this," Armstrong smiled.

"Lieutenant Hawkeye is already here. She's getting Danielle ready. I bought Danielle a dress, and it seems I have a rebel on my hands. Danielle is resisting." Mustang and Armstrong walked up the stairs to the front door, Ed and Al following. They were led to the entrance hall, where Mustang and Armstrong parted.

The Colonel turned and handed Al a black tie.

"What's this for?" Al asked.

"This is a formal dinner," the Colonel said. He watched Al slowly put it on.

"I feel ridiculous," Al complained.

"So do all of us. Now if you'll go ahead to the
dining hall, I'll take Edward up to get his formal wear," the Colonel said, gesturing Al to flow with the crowd. Al looked at Ed, sighed, and then followed everyone else. "This way, Elric."

Ed followed the Colonel up a flight of stairs.

"This is a pretty nice place you have here, Colonel," Edward complemented as he admired the many doors lined up along the hallway.

"I don't want to wear it!" yelled a voice from behind one of the doors. The Colonel stopped to listen.

"The Colonel wants you to," came Lieutenant Hawkeye's calm, yet stern voice.

"I don't care, he's not the boss of me!" Ed realized who it was; it was Danielle.

"Excuse me for a moment," the Colonel said, with a smile on his face. He opened the door and disappeared behind it.

"Colonel!" Lieutenant Hawkeye and Danielle said together. Ed stood there in front of the door. He could hear Mustang talking on the other side, but he couldn't make out what he was saying. It became quiet and the door opened as Mustang walked out.

"Let's continue," he said walking on. Edward followed him. As they walked, Ed found that he could not keep quiet any longer.

"What do her gloves prevent exactly?" he said, breaking the silence. The Colonel seemed startled by his question, but regained his poise and grinned again.

"Let's not be persistant on that subject, Edward. You get yourself in way over your head," he said. He stopped and opened a door. Ed followed him in.

It was a bedroom by the looks of it, and sitting on the bed was a formal suit -- shoes and everything.

"It should all fit. I don't think you've grown much," the Colonel said, walking out the door and closing it behind him.

"What is that suppose to mean, you jerk?!" Ed yelled after him. He sighed and turned to the suit on the bed. "Ah, I hate dressing up all fancy and stuff. But it's for the food." He picked up the suit to examine it.


"Colonel Mustang!" yelled a voice from across the dining hall. Roy stopped at the bottom of the staircase and glanced around. He saw a Military officer walking quickly up to him.

"Lieutenant Bradshaw," the Colonel replied. He glanced over at Al who was sitting at a table talking to Lieutenant Ross.

"Great dinner party, Roy, simply stunning," Bradshaw said.

"Thank you, and I hope you are enjoying yourself?"

"Very much so, I don't see how I couldn't. Is the Elric boy here?"

"Both of them, actually."

"I see. I met Edward at the Exam a while back. He seems like a nice boy."

"Yes, he is, although he can be a troublemaker."

"And what about your lovely niece? Is she here as well?" Bradshaw asked smiling. This seemed to change the Colonel's mood drastically. He moved his head closer to Bradshaw's.

"Listen to me," the Colonel said in an angry whisper, "you had better lose your curiousity before it becomes an obsession. And if you ever. harm her -- if you ever do anything that goes too far, I will do things that will make you regret every second of your life." Then he quickly turned and walked away.

"I know that you're hiding something, Mustang. And I will find out what it is," Bradshaw smirked.


Ed looked himself over in a mirror. He adjusted the suit and grinned. "Looks like the Colonel knows his stuff. He even got the right shoe size. But that means -- he was right! i didn't grow much!" He fell forward onto the bed and sighed. "I mustn't give up hope. I'll even be taller than him one day!" He quickly stood up, a new determination on his face. "Now to go find Al and piles of delicious food!"

He left his other clothing on the bed where the suit had been and walked out the door. He turned and saw Lieutenant Hawkeye walking out as well.

"Edward," she acknowledged.

"Sir," Ed replied walking up to her.

"Would you mind walking Danielle down to dinner? The Colonel asked me to go down as soon as she was dressed and I want to make sure she actually comes down."

"No problem. Could you just tell Al I'll be down soon?"

"Will do," Hawkeye said, turning and walking toward the staircase. Ed leaned against the wall opposite the door. He looked down at his hands, which he still wore his white gloves. He clenched his auto-mail arm and looked down both ends of the hallway. His stomache growled.

"I haven't eaten all day, and I volunteer to escort someone instead of eating?" he said, gripping his stomache.

The door creaked open as Danielle looked out. She saw Ed and quickly shut the door.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" Ed yelled, running over to the door.

"Why are you here? Go away!" Danielle yelled through the other side of the door.

"I'm suppose to escort you downstairs," Ed explained.

"I don't need an escort!"

"Fine, I'll go --" Ed turned but as he did, a thought hit him. He could already hear Colonel Mustang yelling at him, telling him he couldn't eat until he had brought Danielle with him. He sighed and turned back to the door. "I'm not leaving until you come out! I can't eat until you're down there!"

"I don't care!"

"Please!" Ed begged.

"No!"

Ed kicked at the door in frustration and it fell forward. He saw Danielle standing in shock, looking down at the door. She looked up at Ed.

"Er -- oops," Ed apologized. "So are you coming now?"

"I'm afraid to see what would happen if I didn't," she muttered. She stepped over the door and followed Ed down the hallway.

"Are you the 'Fullmetal' Alchemist?" Danielle asked. "Your name is Edward Elric right?"

"Yeah, they're both true," Ed laughed. "I guess you've heard of my great legacy?"

"I pictured you much taller," she said. Ed's face grew red.

"Who are you calling a puny fly that you could smash with a newspaper?!" Ed fumed.

"I didn't say that! Don't get all worked up!"

"I wasn't..." he mumbled. "So have you been assigned an alias yet?"

"Yes," Danielle replied. They kept walking.

"Well, what is it?"

"It's --- 'Dark' Alchemist. Because of --"

"--- The black electricity your alchemy creates. That's very unusual," Ed commented. They came to the stair case. Danielle bumped into his arm.

"Your arm!" she exclaimed.

"It's just auto-mail," Edward laughed.

"I didn't know. How did it happen?"

"That's another story, now, are you going to go down or not?" He continued down the staircase as Danielle followed. People would glance up every now and then, but Ed only noticed one person staring intensely upon them. Colonel Mustang. They reached the bottom of the staircase as Colonel Mustang walked over to them. Ed looked over at Al who was sitting by Lieutenant Hawkeye. They all walked over and sat down.

"Sorry it took so long, Al," Ed laughed, "hope you didn't get too bored."

"No. I talked to Isabelle and Aleeya. They just became State Alchemists," Al replied. Danielle looked at him from the other side of the table.

"Isabelle did the whole dagger thing, right?" Ed said turning to Danielle. "Aleeya was the one who made a chimera out of just one animal. That was amazing! No wonder the Military's interested."

"Who's this, Ed," Al said, looking at Danielle.

"Oh --- that's Danielle. She just became a State Alchemist too."

"Such bad manners, Edward," Alphonse sighed. "I'm Alphonse Elric, Ed's younger brother."

"Younger brother? I wouldn't have been able to tell," Danielle said studying them. Ed turned a dark shade of red.

"Easy, Ed," Al soothed.

"Dinner is served," said a man near the kitchen. Several men were behind him with trays. They placed them in front of each guest.

"Yeah, this is great!" Ed said, looking at the huge piece of steak on his plate. The butler-type men brought out side dishes and filled cups with wine. "Am I allowed to drink this?"

"The Colonel doesn't believe in age limits as long as you're responsible," Danielle answered, taking a sip of hers.

"I'm not too fond of this stuff," Ed said, pushing his glass away.

"You've never even tried wine," Al said.

"Well, better not break my streak now," Ed said,
rubbing his hands together as he eyed all the food. "Now to get started." He picked up his fork and began to shovel food into his mouth.

"Ed, could you eat a little slower, please," Al
whispered. "And stop making a huge mess."

"What's wrong with the way I eat?" Ed asked.

"You make people stare."

Ed looked up. Mostly everyone in the room was staring at him. He looked at his fork which was halfway to his mouth.

"Sorry, I guess I was just a little hungry," he laughed. Danielle and Al sighed. "By the way," Ed continued, looking at Danielle, "you can preform alchemy without an array."

"Yes, but so can you," she replied.

"I know, but there's only one other person I know of that can besides you and me. Meaning it's not an easy feat to come by."

"Do you always make a big deal out of everything?"

"Only when I have to," Ed smiled maliciously. Danielle glared at him and then looked over at Al.

"Aren't you going to eat?" she asked him. Al quickly looked to Ed for help.

Suddenly, the entrance doors exploded. Everyone quickly stood up to see what had caused it. The dust and debris cleared, revealing a black haired woman in a mask.

"Nice place you've got here," she said, looking at the high ceiling. "Too bad I wasn't invited to the party." She jumped into the air and landed on the table, face to face with Colonel Mustang. "Hope you don't mind if I take a few 'souviners'," she said, looking over to Danielle. "I've been looking for you, girl."

"Who are you?!" Ed asked. The woman turned to him.

"Well, little boy," she smiled, "I am the Phantom Lady, reborn!"



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Preview of Next Episode:


"What do you want with her?" Ed asked. The Phantom smirked.

"Just to take back what is rightfully mine," she said. "But you had to go and destroy my creation. But the others won't be so lucky."

"How many of these dolls do you have?"

"Four."

"You mean three now." Something hit Ed from behind, knocking him to the ground.

"No, I still have four."

~~~~~~~~~~~ View pictures and manga frames of this story at http://www.inochi-itai-unmei.piczo.com/